Colt Camp Perry Model

About the Colt Camp Perry Model

The Colt Camp Perry Model is a single-shot target pistol chambered in .22 Long Rifle, produced by Colt between 1926 and 1941. Named after the National Matches site at Camp Perry, Ohio, it was built on the same frame and grip as the Colt Officer's Model revolver, but in place of the revolving cylinder it used a single chamber block that swung out to the side for loading. Hinged at the rear, this flat chamber locked the cartridge in line with a one-piece barrel, eliminating the cylinder gap of a revolver and improving accuracy. With its exposed hammer, single-action trigger and adjustable target sights, it was marketed to competitive bullseye shooters during the interwar years.

The pistol takes its name from Camp Perry, Ohio, the home of the National Matches and a mecca of American competitive marksmanship. By disguising a single-shot target pistol within the familiar lines of the Officer's Model revolver, Colt gave precision shooters a purpose-built match arm that handled like the revolvers they already trained with.

Colt Camp Perry Model specifications

Early production used a 10-inch (254 mm) barrel; from 1934 the barrel was shortened to 8 inches (203 mm). Approximately 2,500 were produced over the run, making surviving examples collectible.